EFCA seeks to improve social, economic and political opportunities for youth between the ages of 14 and 28. Young people comprise up to 26 percent of the population of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. They find themselves increasingly marginalized in society and are often identified as instigators of conflict or religious radicalism. EFCA develops young people’s skills, protects their rights, and helps them to find employment and participate in their society and community. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a marked decrease in the quality of education throughout most of the region. EFCA seeks to improve the quality of education at all levels in Central Asia. EFCA is working to enhance the skills of educators, improve curricula, and increase access to education, particularly for vulnerable youth. EFCA works with a range of partners to meet the specific needs of each country.

Goal: Promote youth development in Kazakhstan by improving the quality of education and expanding opportunities for self-fulfillment.

More than six million Kazakhstanis have been born since Kazakhstan gained independence. The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has called young people the “drivers of the new course” of Kazakhstan’s development in the national strategy “Kazakhstan 2050”.

In order to provide young people with new opportunities, to create an enabling environment for harmonious personal and professional development, and encourage youth involvement in the resolution of social issues in Kazakhstan, EFCA is implementing activities to achieve the following outcomes:

EFCA is serving as an independent institution to support design and construction of kindergarten. The kindergarten will be turned over to government ownership. The project will increase access to early childhood education in Oskemen by setting-up a large-scale kindergarten.